The new numbers don't necessarily mean there is less food poisoning. They simply mean that scientists think they can now do a better job of guessing how many illnesses actually occur. Government scientists said the new estimate should be viewed as the more accurate guess based on better information. The revision means that one in six Americans gets sick each year from tainted food, not one in four, as the old study had it.

An interesting tidbit from the CDC study that includes the estimate: Of the pathogens that cause food poisoning, only one-fifth have been identified by scientists.